He is a saving grace with the ability to give solid starts time after time, often when the bullpen needed a bit of a rest.

This is none other than John Lackey, arguably the most solid and consistent factor on the pitching staff.

His record of 8-12 does not due justice to the performances he has put up there. Just take a closer look at this starts and you have to feel for the guy.

Lackey over last 10 starts

in 7 starts he has given up 3 or fewer runs.

has 51 strikeouts over 281 hitters faced.

has only walked 15 hitters.

averaged 6.8 innings per start.

lost total of 6 starts, 4 with 0 run support, 2 more with 3 or fewer runs in support.

all 6 losses were by 3 runs or less.

He has been healthy, consistent, dependable, and noncontroversial. Everything the Red Sox needed this year while righting the ship and sailing towards the postseason again.

He just can't seem to buy a win.

Looking at his entire season and we see that he has received an average of 3.77 runs per nine innings in his starts. The other regular starters — Clay Buchholz, Ryan Dempster, Felix Doubront, Jon Lester, and Jake Peavy — get an average of 5.87 runs. With an average of 2 more runs per game his record would now have 8 more wins, putting his record at 16-4.

His 3.22 ERA is 12th in the American League and he averages 7.71 strikeouts per nine innings.

After coming back from missing all of last year due to Tommy John surgery at 34 years of age, he is at the top of his game.

Now the run support, please baseball gods?

I bet he cringes each time they file past his locker after losing a game, clap him on the back, and say "Nice job, our bad."